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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · staff · lash · capital · snap · pass · pitcher · board

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. snap — to click
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. capital — money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. board — to get on
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. board — a committee
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com